Y'all... oh my gosh I finally tried Doc B's Restaurant + Bar in the Gold Coast and BABYYYY... the…read morefood was AMAZING--and honestly, pretty affordable too I'm lowkey mad I didn't get pictures, but listen... it was so good I couldn't even pause to take one I ordered the Cajun chicken club sandwich with sweet potato fries, and let me tell you... those fries? 10/10. No notes. The sandwich had candied bacon on it with this perfect sweet flavor, and it normally comes with honey Dijon--but I don't do Dijon, so I swapped it for this garlic sauce ‍ And when I say that garlic tanginess mixed with the sweet candied bacon... whew. Chef's kiss. Absolute perfection. My boyfriend got the steak wok bowl with corn, broccoli, brown rice, and some other veggies--and I definitely stole a few bites It was SO good. Like... flavorful, fresh, just everything. The whole vibe? Perfect for a lunch date. The ambiance was cute, relaxed, and just right And I loved that they serve room temperature water (because ice? not my thing ‍) But let's talk about the real star--our waiter Eli He was AMAZING. Super personable, funny, and just a whole vibe. He had the cutest red cat-eye nails and burgundy hair accents--like, style on point He told us he manages both the Gold Coast and River North locations, so I'm definitely hoping we run into him again. And when me and my boyfriend were holding hands at the end, he goes, "Aww this is so cute. I'm not jealous though" we all cracked up. Just made the experience even better. Listen... 5 stars is not enough. It's just not. If you've been thinking about going--THIS IS YOUR SIGN. Go. I promise you won't regret it

We were in Chicago for a conference and we asked a local for a good restaurant recommendation for…read moredinner. Our friend said one of her favorite places to suggest to visitors was Doc B's Restaurant. So, we gave it a try. The menu includes a wide variety of salads, wings, wraps, sandwiches and, my favorite, burgers. I was with a group of 4 and we all ordered burgers - and none of us opted for the same burger. So, our little group got to try 4 different burgers. And all four were delicious. Three of us ordered with a side of fries - also delicious. Great place for dinner in the Windy City.

After a day shopping on Magnificent Mile north of the river in Chicago, we stopped at nearby…read moreCafecito on Chestnut. It was early Sunday afternoon, and we were too large a group to arrive without calling ahead. You walk up a lovely old half-flight of stairs under an ornate ceiling. After a short wait, half of our party went elsewhere, and the remaining four of us were quickly seated. The front area is mainly a café, with maybe 10 seats at tables for two. Farther back is a hallway and a larger room with seating in booths and at high-tops for maybe 40, and maybe 6 more at a small bar. The staff is quick and friendly. The food is delicious and fresh and hot! And the music is loud and festive :-) We had the thin-cut savory palomillo steak, a generous serving, pounded to tenderness, served with classic wet black-beans and white rice, sweet soft platanos maduros plantain pieces, and some greens and tomato. We had a lovely colorful medium-sized Mojo Shrimp in tart garlic citrus mojo sauce, with sateed red onion crescents, tomato chunks, and parsley. And we had the huge slow-cooked tender shredded-beef Ropa Vieja pressed sandwich, sauced lightly with slightly-tangy creole sauce, served with platanos maduros and black beans. All of their food delightfully authentic. We liked it so much, a few days later we ate at their South Loop location, too!

My cousin recommended this spot for lunch, and I'm glad I checked it out. I ordered the Ropa Vieja…read morePlatillo, which came with black beans, rice, and sweet plantains. The portion size was generous--I couldn't finish it all--but everything was flavorful and well prepared. I also tried the café con leche, which was rich, smooth, and a perfect complement to the meal. The service was quick and friendly, and the spacious booths and open interior made the restaurant feel comfortable and inviting. Overall, it was a great lunch experience, and I'd definitely come back to try more items on the menu.

Beatrix is a fantastic escape from the standard conference center fare. After a long night, the…read moreMigas Egg Scramble provided exactly the kind of flavorful, high-protein start that was needed to get through the day. The Hazelnut Oat Mocha was a great pairing--rich and well-balanced. It was also good to see the variety at the table; the Eggs Your Way, Lemon Pancakes, and Overnight Oats all looked like solid, well-prepared options. The staff was friendly and attentive throughout the meal, making for a seamless experience. If you're looking for a reliable breakfast spot in Chicago that feels a bit more intentional than the usual hotel or convention options, this is a winner.

Not worth the hype. First thing you notice is that the waiting area was designed by someone who had…read moreno idea how ergonomics and use of space works. No one fits and you end up standing next to a revolving door that tries to hit you every time someone comes in. They also have a tiny waiting area in a walled off space on the side but they decided to put a table there too. Genius (not really). Be ready to wait because for some reason everyone decided this was a hot spot. Forget getting there after 9am if you want to wait less than 45-60 minutes. The tables are jammed together, the service is SLOW and the food is expensive and really not all that special. Save time and money and go somewhere else.

This was one of the best food experiences I have had in my life. I'm so glad I was able to reserve…read moretwo seats at the bar. Walking to the location, my friend and I discussed the various dishes we would like to try. In hindsight, I'm grateful for the walk because it helped make room for the dishes we would try. When we entered, we immediately were seated and greeted by Omar. His knowledge of the menu helped us focus on our dishes. We ended up ordering: squid ink chitarra, agnolotti, salt- roasted beets, pork belly, and gelato. Each dish was better than the next. The brown butter and red wine jus used for the agnolotti was addictive and the squid ink was delectable. Who knew salt- roasted beets could taste out of this world? Not me. We ended with a glass of limoncello and champagne to accompany our vanilla gelato. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Awesome food!!! Fancy Environment!!!! And Friendly Staff!!!!…read more Yay! Wonderful experience here, I was just visiting and after I finally found parking, I asked to be seated but did not have a reservation, the hostess said if I could be about an hour she could squeeze us in. So I was thankful for that, we were not looking to stay for a long time just wanted to try the place out. Once seated we were waited on and served fast. The food was mind blowing, we loved everything!!! My favorite was the duck appetizer puffs, wow they were good. Everything though was elevated and delicious. I'd come back in a heartbeat. Thank you for the wonderful experience to add to our trip to Chicago!

We love Arbella!! Atmosphere inside was great, really large space! We sat at the bar, the…read morebartenders were super friendly and attentive easy to talk to and order from. LOVE the $6 cocktail of the day happy hour (M-F 4-6pm) . Our cocktail of the day was a watermelon lemon drop which was delicious!! Will be coming back next time in Chicago! My local friends new favorite staple bar.

(Kari's Rating 8.75/10)…read more Came with a friend late on a Friday night after dinner time We were able to be seated almost immediately at a nice little private Cove table. We ordered a flight of whiskey sours, which contained whiskeys from Japan, Vietnam, and Wisconsin. I also was able to order an amaretto sour, which they made with freshly hand beaten egg whites, which was a nice cherry on the top. As far as the whiskey flights go, I think the best one was the Vietnam flight because it had a slightly lemongrass twang and was a little bit lighter than the other two. The heaviest one was the Wisconsin which came with a little bit of a bite at the end, but it still wasn't bad if you're trying to blackout on a $15 budget. I would definitely come back with a larger group this seems like a great place, but is a little bit loud- so if you be prepared to yell or wear earplugs. The bathroom took my a second to find, which should have been intuitive considering it was on the opposite end of where you come in. I blame the lighting as things are already pretty hard to find in the dark, but eventually I made it there-Pat myself on the back.

Fans of mine will note if I get an interaction with the celebrity owner 5 stars is possible. Alpana…read moredid not disappoint. She's there at our dinner tonight to ensure a tight ship. Steady as she goes! Loved the fact they have a menu that gives plenty of options but not too many so they can concentrate on making the offerings great dishes. Server was excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. Price point for drinks and food was reasonable given big city restaurants it was not trying to gauge ahem Gibsons. Recommend the polenta and mushroom app, outstanding. The crudo very good! Squid ink with rock shrimp for me was excellent! Good wine pairings. Thank you Alpana for the greeting and hard work you obviously put into your restaurant. Will be back for sure to try other great entrees.

Sat outside for dinner! The outdoor seating area is nice and secluded from sidewalk but will say…read moreambiance is much cuter on inside. The tables outside were so close to each other. We got two appetizers to start, both were good. The butter chicken meatballs were different and tasty! The whipped feta and honey was also good. I had the short rib bucatini and was disappointed in the lack of meat. The noodles and sauce were very good but there was not a lot of protein. It was more like a meat sauce. My friend had the spicy pasta Romero, I tried it and it was very good. Lots of vegetable and a nice kick. Our server was very nice and attentive! With the tables being so close together though the servers could not go in between tables so made it hard to hear staff at some times.

The portion size were good and the food itself was ok. Mediocre at best. The service was…read moreacceptable. The workers were nice. The ambiance and the decor is maybe the only redeeming factor. It has some nice touches, but again nothing crazy.

The food is incredible here. The Lamb Ragu specifically is a must try!…read more The vibes are very fun as well. A great place to have drinks or a meal with friends. Very great visuals for pics of you want. The service was mid. That was the only drawback. I would go back for the food but it was if we were a bother to the server. We made a reservation and were seated at the bar area. Our server forgot our wine. It was just the worst service I had of any of the places visited while I was in town.

Service here was great. The nice guy behind the counter knows the menu very well. He was very nice…read moreand friendly. Earth, Curry, and Fire was not really spicy. It was white rice, onions, carrots, peppers, kale, chili coconut curry, and crispy egg. I added additional chicken with it. Magic cake is homemade cashew butter and chocolate chips. Food here was alright; I think it could be more flavorful.

I didn't take any pictures, but this was one of the best meals I had in Chicago! If I lived here,…read moreI'd get food here regularly. I got the Healthy Sesame bowl with chicken. It was loaded with veggies and SO GOOD. You can tell its so fresh, the make it right in front of your eyes and in a few minutes you have the most excellent stir fry. I also got the grilled pineapple and it was also great but best went eaten warm right when you get in my opinion. Overall, I crave this already and will be back when I'm I'm downtown Chicago!